The Hedingham Chronicles - Book Two
by AuthorKylie
Summary: Hedingham Keep has become a haven in the rising turbulence of the new era after the Tribulation, but the feudal system among the Lords is an unstable one, and with the dangers of a world filled with radiation and dragons, Yami and his faithful community struggle with the coming tide of war. This is the story of the Children of Ra.
1. Prologue

_The bitter rain battered down upon your back, hissing and spitting as the acidic concoction met the protective film of your heavy overcoat. The travel had been hard on the feet, eating away at the only shoes you had managed to find in the lonesome road. Blood, you could feel it, already hot on your toes. Some time ago you had stopped feeling the burst blisters, instead, everything had numbed._

_Every step was driven forward by the sight of a light ahead. It lingered like a floating imp, just out of reach, but there, through the fog of the yellow tinged rain. Another stagger and you cried aloud as you stumbled on the cobbled stones, hitting the earth with a thud. Your provision spilled across the puddle riddled road and you watched the acidic rain eat away at the last of your rations._

_Was this the end?_

_Would you die so close to that lovely warm light?_

_Heavily lidded, your eyes dropped low, a dribble of a hot tear smeared down your dirty cheek. You half believed it was your imagination that heard the heavy foot-fall of boots slugging through the mud._

_Warmth._

_It filled you freezing limbs like a breath, as slowly, through the blur of your vision, a black cloaked figure knelt and peered at you with gentle, purple tinted eyes so full of care and hospitality._

"_It's alright..." the voice. How long had it been since you had heard the sound of another human's voice. So long. Too long. It was like a melody just to hear words from another's lips. _

"_It's alright...you've made it..."_

_Two strong hands slid under your weakened shoulders and near plucked you off the earth as though your tiny, malnourished frame weighed little more than a sack of potatoes. He, for sure it was a man, cradled you tightly against his chest and covered you with his large black cloak._

"_You made it," he offered again, trudging easily up the road towards that all encompassing light. _

"_I...I...made it where..." you whispered painfully, throat raw and dry._

_He smiled in the dim light._

"_Hedingham." He kissed your nose. "Safe now." He held you tighter, away from the terrible, terrible cold rain. "You are safe now, little one...safe."_

_And yes._

_You knew it._

_He was right._

_You were safe._

"_Excuse me...sir..." You wanted to look back into his face, the smile he so readily wore, but he held you so tight that you could not look upward. He seemed to desire to protect you from the angry wind, the toxic rain, and the horrors of a world so badly wrong. "But...who are you?"_

_He hummed, a sound like a purr of an old-earth cat, deep within his chest. _

"_Yugi Motou, Eldest of Fire." _

Here do you seek a path out of bitter ways,

Do you wander such lonesome roads, dear traveller lost so far?

What, indeed, has lead you to this place,

This place of legends.

Of Dragons

And humans.

And the love that many shared.

Oh you silly,

Come in,

Quick

Out of the cold so chilled.

Quick

Quick

Let me warm you

With the fire of the one who warms us all.

Come hinder, come higher, come near to this fire.

And I shall spin you a tale so bold and true

Of a time far gone,

Of a time not begun,

Of a time that lingers neither here nor there

But in a world of naught

Filled with

Great, great despair

Wrap your cloak, drink your broth, listen, listen, listen to my voice

As I tell you of a hero,

His dragon,

His family,

His home

And the fight therein to keep safe all who dwelt

Within the walls

Of

Hedingham Keep

Its doors are open,

To all who travel

This ruined and desolate world

You need only a smile

And I assure you

Here

You shall find

Your Home

So travel no more

Listen instead

To my tale

So Begins

The Hedingham Chronicles

Book Two

Children of Ra


	2. Chapter 1

_**Kylies New Notes:**_

_Hey guys, to those who know The Hedingham Chronicles (if you don't, do go and read the first Book, or this will not make any sense), these are chapters that were attached to the First Book—but I'm making them their own separate 'Book 2' story now—the reason for this is because I have reworked them, and the reason for reworking them a bit is because I felt I could save them and the story. Editing my novel 'Child' with a professional editor taught me a great amount of things and while I cannot entirely fix my stories on my own, there are little thing I know I can change just to make them feel better in my own head. I thought the second book of The Hedingham Chronicles could be worked on pretty easily and I could fix the areas I saw by myself quickly. _

_So here it is as a separate book, hopefully I'll upload some more chapters, as they are actually written but I have just never 'finished' them all off XD I am so busy writing two books at the moment :D _

_Sorry for any confusion. I have grown a bit as a writer over this past year, but I want to keep these fanfictions up for folks to read and to be honest, I cannot ever be embarrassed about these fanfictions, why should I be? They're an example of how you can grow and change as a writer/author and one should never, ever be ashamed of progress!_

_So thank you for being so wonderful, thanks for reading, thank you for your support! Your encouragement is food to my soul and warms my cold typing hands ;)_

_**Kylie's Old Notes:**_

_Hedingham's flag color is Violet with a golden sun and a golden dragon cycling the sun. Hedingham folk call it 'Ra.' So when they're speaking of Ra they're not meaning the Egyptian god, they're either meaning their flag or Hedingham itself. Code words. _

_Also, if you have read John Whyaham's 'The Crysalids' then you will know where I've taken the radiation mutation from and the idea of 'thought-shapes' and instead of actual mental telepathy. If you haven't read this amazing, genius novel, then I can highly recommend it to you. My father gave it to me when I was just twelve years old as my first sci-fi book and I am telling you, something about it just caught my imagination forever. I've re-read it every year since, until I've worn out my Dad's old copy and I had to find a new one. That book has seen so many things, my older brother took it on a bus and dropped it and it slipped between the engine and the road...he had to ask the bus driver to stop so he could crawl under the bus and find it...because he knew, if he dared LOOSE his sisters prized possession there would be war._

_He found it. _

_Lucky man._

_I wish, very dearly, to make a movie of the book someday – if I ever get into the movie making business (doubt it, but the thoughts there)._

_So yeah, read it! Really, you won't be disappointed. Also read 'The Day of the Triffids' also by John Whydamham. That's another good book. (Though, I read it at night and scared the daylights out of myself...it's not even scary...I think my imaginations too good.)_

**The Hedingham Chronicles**

**Book 2**

**Children of Ra**

**AuthorKylie**

**Chapter 1: On Holy Ground**

There was a smog over London, though no longer was it a smog of an industrial revolution, nor even the smog of car fumes and pollution, it was not even the smog of a wet winter day. It was smoke from the burning cauldrons deep underground in the subways and carved out waterways now home to the London Clan of Dragons.

There the London King ruled his harem proudly and justly, content with his new kingdom. Buckingham hardly a throne to sit upon these-days, but it did him fine in its crumbling ruin, Yami supposed. The great dragon that haunted the lonely, forlorn skies like a vulture cared not the beauty of Human civilization, only the taste of the ash in which it brought.

London was still a mess of interlinked streets, just as it had always been. Though many were now flooded by the tides that had overrun the river, tides but those above water were forested with the spread of wild-life that now ruled where cars had once run and Humans had once scurried.

He and Kala snaked through the freckles of shadows, their bare skin thickly painted in swirls of dark colors blended into the harshly carved out environment that had long been warped with age. The elements had been harsh to London in the years of desolation. No longer was it a hive of culture, of civilization, a world of languages of all kinds with faces of so many nationalities, instead, it rested in silence with a weeping of days gone when Humans had ruled the Earth.

They did not rule any longer, though many sure tried but the harsh landscapes and the pockets of deadly radiation coupled with the ever present fear of dragons kept Human's to their communities.

Only the brave and foolish adventured back to the city London had once been.

Yami didn't categorize himself into the foolish folk of their new world, nor did he categorize himself into the brave section either. He was neither.

He was a protector.

And in this world of tomorrow, he protected what was his with silent stillness and calculated actions. Already, he could sense the presence of the man who was treading nearer to the territory of his encampment. The heavy-foot-falls of worn out boots made it almost impossible not to miss.

Yami ducked around a crumbled wall. Just behind him, he felt Kala brush past. In the darkness of the shadows they blended in, blue and grey paint having swelled over their almost naked forms. Their bare feet lightly padded the surface of the ground as they ran. Ducked, weaved and leapt up and around the alley-ways.

They both stopped simultaneously, in perfect union, even their breaths timed. A tree that had eaten its way through a high wall that was now in crumbled ruins gave them shadows to sink into.

Silently Yami swept out an arrow from the slim pack across his shoulders. He slid his legs carefully around Kala, using her as a support to reach up and gain a higher ground as he pulled the arrow notched in his bow tightly back. Every movement they made was a silent one; even the whisper of his arrow being released was barely auditable as the messenger of death was carried swiftly through the air to piece of visible flesh of the nearby knight.

He dropped dead.

Yami slid down and sunk back into the murk. He flicked his eyes towards Kala and gave a small twitch of a finger and a mental image. His eyes would have been the only visible thing in the darkness, for they glowed an eerie, reflective red sheen, like a feline's glitter catching the gloss of light. Kala's too had a faint tinge of the alien infection, it was inevitable that all from Hedingham, born of the flesh of the air therein, would, by the age of ten, have such beautiful and alien eyes due to the two ancient Dragons inhabiting the biosphere there.

\Go back, loop, and see how many...\ Yami pictured to Kala.

The brief, telepathic language shimmered like shapes within his mind as she replied.

\Yes sir.\

She vanished, leaving not even a foot-print within the soot upon what had once been a bitumen road.

One could not lie when thought-shaping, indeed, the slow mutation happening in the population of his people was a strange one that made them a group of people who had great difficulty lying to each other.

Human mutation was slow, in every generation it became worse and often the signs were horrific with both a child and a mother dying from the results of a child's monstrous mutation but for those who were lucky, they lived, maybe with an extra arm, or an eye, or the loss of both legs, but they lived and they tried to integrate them into their community to the best they could. It was only metal mutation that was encouraged, with pairings made often between two people with the beginnings of such a new form of telepathy to hope in the birth of a stronger mutation. It was a slow change, one he, as their ruler and protector, knew would take time until everyone thought together, hundreds of years possibly.

Yami thinned his eyes as he watched a man coming out from around a building, calling for the partner he had just lost.

\So...Temmy...how's this going to be\ Bakura's thought-shape lingered in his vacant mind.

Though he could not see his right hand man, the distinct feeling of his mind put him near-by.

Yami thinned his lips, \I want to know who this new Lord is. Keep at least one of them alive.\

\Well, I've got two more behind a building...they should be hitting the street in a few minutes.\

\Give me a moment then to deal with this one.\ Yami offered, \come out when you see a chance.\

\Aye, sir.\

Yami ducked around the tree he was propped behind and ran swiftly across the road. He shouted as he swung up his bow, the bladed tip ripping through the man's leather armor to splatter blood across the ground. Yami ducked, lashed out a foot and struck the man hard; his next move tore the opposing knight's throat out with his bows sharpened iron tip. The Earl dropped flat, pressing himself almost directly parallel to the ground. His eyes flicked to the movement of the stone nearest to him.

He compressed his chest to slip deeper into the grass and ash as voices, confused and frightened began to drift in is direction.

He gave a small devilish smirk at the conversation.

"Thea're dead! What's happening!?"

"Holy ground," another voice trembled, "we should'a never come to London!"

Yami watched as a boot came close to his head. He smiled a dark leer of delight at the given opportunity and sprung up like a spring. His bow and arrow poised at the nearest knights neck. The man froze in sudden horror at the sight of his companions white face. Bakura dropped from above, coming up from behind the frightened companion.

"Tell me," the white knight, who's hair had been stained blue and black with the same paint that covered his bare body, hissed darkly, "under whose lord-ship do you fall?"

"Lord...Dratz..."

"Oh..." Bakura sighed heavily, "that man...he's finally reached Lord-hood? What is he trying to prove?" The white knight thrust his blade up and into the knights chest. He gave no cry of pain, death coming from the blow through his spinal cord.

The heavy knight thumped onto the ground. Bakura perked up an eyebrow, leering at the remaining man.

"I have a message for your lord," Yami whispered softly as he knight at the tip of his bladed bow stared at his dead comrade in shock, "if he does not stop his campaign to claim London as his own and turn back around to his castle then every member of his party will die. London does not belong to anyone," Yami nicked the man's throat, causing him to cry aloud in pain. "London is holy turf, you will leave! Do I make myself clear?"

"Aye...aye..."

"Then get out of my sight!"

"Who..." The knight struggled away from the two warriors, tumbling over the ground, "who are you?"

"You may tell your lord," Yami snarled, "this message comes to him from Ra." With a small ounce of delight at the sight of the poor knight scrambling away Yami relaxed his tensed shoulders enough to dull the ache across the abused muscles. He always pushed his body to its limits on these outing from Hedingham's safe shields.

\Kala,\ Yami inquired gently.

He sensed a small startled thought-shape that the Amazon woman managed to suppress.

\Aye, sir?\

\Head back to camp and tell the men to begin code eighteen.\

He sensed a mental picture appear on the surface of his mind. She nibbled out something he couldn't quite understand and concluded that she was fiddling with the Atlantis Crystal around her neck, stopping the clear thought-shape.

\Kala?\

\Yes sir. Sorry sir. Will do sir.\ She slapped the mental pictures firmly against his mind.

\Thank you dear.\ Giving the mental equivalent of a firm brotherly pat on her head Yami chuckle softly.

He shifted his weary gaze towards Bakura, his trusted right hand man was shifting through the dead bodies, pulling out things he thought might be of use.

\What are you thinking?\ Yami sent the image.

\This man won't give up...this may well be our last trip Temmy.\ Bakura did not even look up as he flicked the thought-shapes to his mind. Their communication was getting swifter in style as the years went on. Soon, he hoped, it would no longer be so forced.

Yami thinned his lips in distaste. \We've barely gathered enough from the libraries and museums to cover half of what needs to be saved.\

\We've done what we can Temmy, we should let London rest now.\

\She will never rest.\ He turned away to fade into the shadows, \But I will forget her...in time...\

Bakura sighed heavily, pocketed what knick-knacks he had uncovered and followed Yami into the gloom. They treaded in silence, neither really wanting to hear the others thoughts on the decaying state of their world. It was obvious from the years passing by that very quickly things were going to get worse ahead of them and they would have to somehow weather thousands of years of the Earth healing itself, if she ever did.

A sudden sharp, almost painful flare caught them both in the front of their minds. It was enough to make them both stagger in their steps.

They both turned to each other in one swift movement, knowing who the painful thought-shape had belonged to.

\Kala.\

It was a conclusion that sent them running through the streets and through the burned out buildings as though the wind itself was carrying something foul behind them.

\Kala! Count me into your location.\ Yami grabbed a pole and hoisted himself up onto a car. He buried his toes and fingers into the side of a building and scurried swiftly up the bricks, Bakura not far behind, as Kala's shaky thought-shapes counted.

\One, two, three, four, five.\

Yami rolled over a roof and crouched. He spotted her across the rickety surface, her shaking shoulders revealing her distress. Bakura sped past him, skidded down beside her and pulled her away from the edge of the building.

\Kala! What are you thinking...\ The white knight scowled softly. \Don't show yourself so easily...\

\He's going to rape her...but there are too many...I couldn't...\

\Shhh,\ Bakura's thought-shapes softened in nature, \shh baby girl...that's it, shhh. Calm down. You'll hiccup if you keep that up.\ The images sharpened again as he directed his attention to the scene below them. \Temmy, they don't look like locals.\

Crouching low upon the roof Yami thinned his eyes at the odd sight of a military looking group being bound and gagged by the scruffy knights that had obviously just stumbled upon them. Amongst the military men, one woman stood out, being dragged by her bundled hair across the gravel and soot form the main party. Women always stood out. There was a rather worrisome shortage of women, so much so that he even fought with himself allow Kala to accompany them, despite knowing she could defend herself quite adequately. He could not help it, as the years went by, he kept finding himself facing more and more scenes of things he desired never seeing again—such as the one below.

\Indeed they are not locals, idiots they are though...little wonder they got caught unaware\ Yami sighed and began scratching at a mark on his wrist as if the anxiety made the bite itch. \We'd better hurry.\

\There are only three of us!\ Kala gasped.

\Ah,\ Yami smiled tenderly at the woman, cupped her cheek with a worn hand, \but my dear, we are Knights of Hedingham and you are a Lady of Hedingham...we can do anything.\ He kissed her forehead before slipping away.

\One day,\ Kala sent back, \we'll come across something we can't do.\

\No, we won't.\ Yami chuckled. \Both of you, circle around and wait for my first arrow to strike...\

\Aye, sir.\

Yami silently climbed his way down the building once more yet kept his eyes carefully trained upon the scene below. The young woman was putting up a good sized fight from the brute force of two stocky knights from one of the out-lining communities. He didn't recognize the symbol upon their armor that revealed their allegiance to a particular lord, therefore they must not have been close enough to Hedingham for him to have bothered noting down their flag color.

A small gnawing of concern nibbled at him for a moment, wondering just how many communities he didn't know about and how many lords were possibly beyond his reach of communication. Hedingham stood out as one of the strongest, and therefore, they were one of the most sort after.

Not that people found them unless they truthfully looked hard enough.

He noted four other men around the gathering of military folk. Six in all that they would have to deal with to free the captives.

\Idiots.\

He felt Bakura's thought-shape shift in his mind.

\Who gets captured by six goons these days?\

\Obviously,\ Yami sent back, notching an arrow to his bow, \outsiders. Look at the symbols on their uniforms...they're American.\

\Oh, well...that explains it then doesn't it...wait...what the hell are American's doing here?\

Yami smiled faintly, sizing up the first kill and locking easily upon a near-by stray of the knights. He aimed for the visible flesh of the neck.

\Let's ask them shall we.\ He let lose the arrow. The knight collapsed. Yami twirled around another arrow, notching it and finding the next target.

Bakura had already moved, like a swift wraith the double bladed white knight had hacked through the closest knight.

Yami loosened his next arrow, killing the knight bearing up upon Kala as the Amazon woman ran. Like the man who had taught her to fight, she too held two blades and he knew that just like Bakura, the lady of his court could be just as ruthless if given the right circumstance to trigger her deepest emotions.

A rape.

Well, what lovely woman would not be angry?

He followed her, using the bladed tip of his bow to deal with what came in his way.

Kala landed on the first man nearest the young military woman, dealing a death blow without hesitation before rolling and lunging on the other to knock him flat on his back.

"If it's a quick release you want, I can give you that no problem." Kala snarled into the shocked face, "But it won't be enjoyable, I assure you..."

Yami knelt beside the confused military woman, bound and gagged. Her wide eyes stared at him in confused horror at his wild appearance. Yami tried a smile, not entirely sure if it would work. Yugi was constantly telling him to smile more, though more often than not, his dragon would erupt into hysterics at how wrong his forced smile looked.

"Kala dear, just kill the poor man already, don't taunt him. He's not worth your lovely attention. Save it for Lord Dratz. He's the one you really want to tease." Bakura finished untying the nearest captive, keeping the intact rope for later.

Sighing Kala tipped her head back, "Fine..." She spread her legs, shifted and with a swift movement snapped the man's neck. He went limp. Yami grabbed her hands, hoisting her upright.

He knew well the move she had made well, considering it was an unlocked memory from her past life and there he had seen her perform it to perfection countless times in war and defense.

None the less, it did not stop the shiver from spreading down his spine.

The outsiders were looking upon them frightfully and he was not surprised. Neither he, Bakura or Kala were partially recognizable under the paint covering them and they were not currently attired in much. The men where all for giving Kala a good eyeing over, even after what they had just witnessed her too to the sorry sod at her feet.

Yami moved beside her, throwing a dark, predatory glare—wishing he had Yugi's fanged leer to add to the mixture. The little humanoid dragon was so very good at the protective snarl of ownership; he could make grown men run peeing their pants with a single hiss when in the right mood. It was so incredibly pleasing to see sometimes.

The outsiders were all dressed in grey, patterned clothing that would have once of been in good condition but travel had worn away the colors and eaten at the edges and rims of the outfits. None of them moved, instead their eyes finally settled upon the woman struggling to stand.

Yami narrowed his lips.

So, she was their leader.

That was a curious happening in their new world. The status of women had taken a rather swift fall after Tribulation. To be a woman in command one either had to live in a community that tried to uphold the old-ways or one had to be the kind of woman that made a man feel highly insecure.

One look in her sharp green eyes and Yami knew she was the strong kind, the woman who got her way through sheer will-power in a world gone-wrong. She was forcing her breaths to calm, seeming to search for a way to speak.

\I think we must look like barbarians.\ Kala offered softly, prodding him with a thought-shape, \say something, your highness, or she'll think we're dumb.\

\I don't know, she looks like she could eat us.\ Bakura's thought-shape was soft, like a whisper.

Yami sensed Kala's urge to stamp firmly on the white knights foot and he forced himself to hide his genuine smile, instead flashing one in his mind for them both to see as he turned directly to the woman.

She had to be in her early thirties, therefore matching him in age, but what youth still lingered came from a face he was sure had seen better days. Pretty would have been the word he would have once used to describe her and in the world before Tribulation she would have been very beautiful. Brown hair, chopped tight around her chin added to the defiant appearance her full bodied limbs gave her.

No wonder the dead knights around her had taken a liking, and without knowledge of their world, she would have had little chance against them.

He moved and she shifted instantly, her eyes flaring in wrath. Yami noted the movement of one of the nearest men. She had a pack who would fight to protect her. How interesting.

Yami placed a hand upon his chest and allowed old-English to slip between his lips. He winced at how strange it sounded coming from his mouth now, after so many years of speaking Hedingham speech.

"Sir Yami of Hedingham." He inclined his head in the traditional manner before pointing to Bakura and Kala behind him. "My fellow knight Sir Bakura the White and our lovely escort Lady Kala Ishtar."

Kala gave a weak wave, almost hiding behind Bakura's taller form. The white knight's hand snaked around her shoulder, his glare settling upon the gathering of men slowly climbing to their feet at the sight of their leader nodding slowly in understanding.

"Major Tea Anzu, of the reformed U.S Military." The woman held out a hand and Yami raised an eyebrow at the old universal hand-shake offered to him. How odd, he had not shaken anyone's hand in years; it was highly inappropriate and somewhat dangerous to shake someone's hand without first cleaning and scrubbing skin. For a moment he was almost frightened he no longer knew how to shake someone's hand.

Carefully he took her thin fingers in his larger grasp. He noted the small, brief slip of confusion across her features before she quickly dashed it aside and placed a mask over whatever emotions she was feeling at his touch.

"My men and I are in your dept." Her thick, foreign accent forced him to concentrate on translating it in his head.

"Hardly." Bakura snorted, "call it good will...hey Yami, these guys...I haven't seen their color before."

"I know." Yami glanced at the dead man nearest to him and bent down; he rolled the corpse over and used a knife from the thin belt around his waist to cut off the symbol in the fabric. "How strange, that's at least three different colors we've seen in London this visit."

"Popular this season heh." Bakura chuckled.

Yami glanced back to Tea. "If you don't mind me asking, Lady Tea, but how did you manage to get captured...you and your men look like you don't go down easy?"

"That...is quite a long story." She sighed.

"Then," Yami stood to his full height, noting that he only just managed to top the woman, "you will need an escort if you are that confused in our regions. Please, you and your men are welcome to come back with us to our camp...we are returning and I believe this is our last night in London. You'll have a warm meal and a safe place to rest."

"Thank you." Her eyes showed instant distrust. He could not blame her, he would be equally as distrusting had the tables been turned.

"Follow us then." Yami waved a hand flamboyantly. "Milady."

000

The sunlight was below the cracked ruins of London's towers by the time they reached the encampment. Leading the group of ten military men and their one woman leader into the set up homes of rounded tents, Yami threw down his pack and glanced vaguely at his knights, some young on their first trip out of Hedingham and others old veterans. All wore the colors of deep royal purple and bright gold that revealed them as Hedingham stock.

It was one of the most important aspects of knight-hood in their radiation crazed, dragon infested world: always wear your colors.

To one side of the camp, nearest a large fire that warded off the beginning haze of a chill, their community flag had been shoved into the dirt like a proud stake in the earth, declaring their owner-ship of the land for a while.

Yami sensed Tea's eyes upon it, her lips spreading in sudden realization.

"The Flag of Ra." Tea raised her eyebrows and jerked towards Yami. Her men behind her all shifted positions as the Hedingham knights studied them.

"So you were speaking the truth, you're a legendary Knight of Hedingham..." Tea whispered.

"I t'won't say legendary." Yami tugged his beard, idly wondering if he should dare ask Kala to shave it for him. "But Hedingham, aye I am defiantly of Hedingham stock..." He frowned and looked to the flag as it watched over their small camp, "you know of Ra?"

"I know enough to know it when I see it." Tea nodded. She busied herself with tucking her brown hair behind an ear. "If you walk these lands in manner my men and I have, you start to pick up whispers."

"Ah," Bakura bent backwards wearily, "Whispers. I like whispers." He settled Kala down from his back where she had hooked herself around. The white knight had not seemed to mind the extra weight, instead complying with the wife of one of his dear friends. If Bakura managed to admit friendship to anyone, it would have to be Malik Ishtar. The two had a delightful manner of seeing the world in kinship ways and kept Hedingham constantly in a state of worry (or in the case of the children, delight) over what their next 'prank' would be.

Yami noted the small thought-conversation between the two as Kala dismounted but he allowed his attention to rest with Tea. She was of more importance. He had her ten men to think about, all looking tired and worn out from the travel he was sure the woman was putting them through.

"I take it you have been travelling for a while then?" He offered, giving the nearest page-boy a quick wave. The dusty haired lad ran towards him.

"Most of my life." Tea nodded, fanning her body, "Dragon Slayers we are...or...were, until our gear was nicked." Her brow furrowed, "shame...I was looking for a good hunt here..."

Forcing back a cringe Yami passed the page boy his quiver and bow.

"Your accent is old American," he mused. "It has been a long time since I've heard old American."

Tea smiled warmly as if recalling something fondly, "My men and I are from America, we've travelled around for almost eight years to reach England."

"Well...welcome." Yami spread his hands wide to the camp, "to New England. Now...Joshi here will happily see to you and your men's needs – he is fluent in old English so use him as a translator...Hedingham language has evolved, your men might find us a little hard to understand. Ah...the cook looks to be preparing for a wonderful meal tonight. Please, feel free to use any of our supplies, new clothing, soap...the likes however, warn your men against touching my knights weapons. They get rather territorial."

Tea nodded.

"If you'd excuse me, I've actually got to go and clean this war-paint off my skin. Kala, dear," Yami threw his head around and sung out, "you coming?"

The Amazon woman appeared, hooked an arm through his and smiled warmly. "Here!"

She was almost a good half a head-taller than he, making his ability to lean on her shoulder an amusing sight. "School gym it is then." He motioned towards the ruined building they were camping within.

It was only then, that the American woman realized their position. They were inside what had once been a large school gym, had the roof still been on it. To the side, there appeared to be the doors leading to the change rooms. Yami directed Kala towards it, giving the new arrival a wave.

"Make yourself at home!"

00000

The old school showers had once been richly done up. From a posh school Yami imagined—maybe an all boy's school by the looks of it. Now, it was littered with the crawling of plants through the tiles and the growth of vines hanging around the cubicles.

On one of their trips Yugi had delightfully dragged him into the beautiful area while it had been alive with the colors of flowers in bloom. The strange, alien plant life, warped and changed from the radiation winds of the north, now glowed faintly in the darkness of the night with soft, fluttering blue lights. It was enough to light their world to see their faces. The water still worked, enough of a trickle to get cleaned, though Kala's squeals at the cold chill was enough to cause laughter from his lips and laughter warmed the soul better than any fire.

He managed to drag hot water from a small fire and with a heave threw it over her before he grabbed a rag to scrub her skin raw to rid it of the paint, dirt and caked blood that had gathered over the last few days. Kala winced, pulling a face at his rough treatment.

"This stuff is awful." She pouted as she pealed it off her face.

"I know." Yami pulled up her leg, "have fun getting it off me next." He peered through his sodden hair. In her current state, she reminded him all the more of the woman she had once been, back in the past. She had undertaken the difficult task to recall what she had once been, though it was a painful experience, that he knew all too well. Her Atlantian name had been Kiva, his human high female priestess – found as a child in the forests of the Amazons. Therefore, her dragon partner so often dubbed her Wonder Woman, after the iconic comic book heroine.

He honestly did not think Wonder Woman was particularly the right title but who was he to argue with a male dragon.

"I hate you." Kala squirmed.

He finished with her toes.

"Thank you, I hate you too."

Kala sighed heavily; glad to finally be able to see the true color of her dark skin. "I am so glad we don't ever tell Malik about these bonding times." She smirked, slapping her naked breasts.

"So am I." Yami blinked that the thought, and winced. "Otherwise my head would no longer be attached to my body and I rather like it being there."

"I don't know, you could look a lot better without it...ouch! You did that on purpose."

"Totally." Yami stepped back and stared at his handiwork. He nodded in approval as she did a small spin for him. "All done, dear." He threw her the scrubber and turned, "now please have pity on me and get it off my back. It's making my skin crawl..."

"Poor Yami. Heaven forbid you feel uncomfortable..." Kala snorted as she began the frustrating task. Fifteen minutes later he could finally see his own rustic auburn tan. Kala sat back with a sigh, looking delighted at a job well done.

"Phew..." Kala heaved a sigh, "Yami, you're you again."

"I'm red and raw and you're telling me I'm me again...do you see this beard...I have a beard Kala."

She smirked, tugging at the tuffs of hair, "I know...I'll shave it for you if you like. Oh, I can hear Yugi's laughter at the sight of you dearie."

Yami pouted, "So can I."

Bakura slid into the old school showers, bearing a large bucket of hot steaming water. He stared at them both with raised eyebrows. "You both started without me, this was supposed to be a threesome!"

"Cork it Felix." Yami threw a rag at him, "and get cleaned up."

"Feisty there my lovelies." Bakura chortled, throwing a bucket of hot water over them both. Sodden as sewer rats the two turned to look at the white knight, still covered in war-paint.

They both raised scrubbers viciously.

Bakura's eyes widened slightly. "Oh...no...no...no, get away!" He squeaked in a boyish fashion as they descended upon him in wrathful speed.

"I'll hold him." Yami snagged the white knights arms, hooking them tightly into a grasp. "You scrub." He motioned to Kala.

She grinned in victory, approaching with the scrubber.

"Bakura...you know, Ryou told me this interesting thing...that you're ticklish on your feet..."

"Oh...damn it! No, no...you dare do that Kala and I swear by Ra I will put cockroaches in your bed again!"

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Yami ducked out of his tent, finally clean and clothed. Clothing felt odd since he had not been wearing much over the last couple of days. His leather gauntlets rubbed the still recovering bite mark on his wrist and he whined from the unfairness of it all as he brushed past the tents towards the fire in the center of their small set up. They had been almost two months away from Hedingham, it would take at least another couple days to each home and he missed Yugi, painfully so. No amount of rubbing his bite mark would make the sensation of wishing for presence the dragon half of his soul go away.

The warmth of the large fire in the center of their camp glowed through the dark night. Yami tipped his head back, staring at the cascading stars in the silken velvet of space. His lips parted in a sigh, knowing that once Yugi had been a part of the celestial world beyond the reaches of a mere human. His dragon, an alien, had flown through the star-dust of space, eaten the heat of suns to survive and conquered planets like a god. The fire warmed his cheeks and he seated himself down beside Kala and the new American woman. The cook hurried over, passing him a bowl and a slice of bread.

"Thanks, Inila." Yami nodded to the young man who bowed his head before scuffling away again. "Are your men well?" Yami glanced to Tea.

The American woman nodded and finished her mouthful. "Your doctor cleared them all."

"Ah, that is good to hear." Yami chuckled.

"This is the first good meal we've had in weeks." Tea whispered softly, "thank you."

"You're most welcome." Shuffling to one side Yami allow Kala to drop beside him, Bakura following soon after, the white knights eyes lingering upon the new-comers. The air amongst the camp seemed to reflect the silent truce between military and knight-folk. Yami chewed on his bread, it was a feat, he had to admit, for a group of rag-tag military men and a woman to have made it so far around.

"So, tell me...where did a group of American's hear about Hedingham?" Yami sipped a tankard of drink. He raised an eyebrow as he looked to Tea.

Her smile increased under his gaze, as if by speaking he was allowing her to ease to the tension.

"Well...we met a travelling group of gypsies who had said they had visited Hedingham and spoke of it as if it were a dream. I remember the mother gypsy said to me 'If you see the flag of Ra, you know you're safe."

Yami laughed, "Well, I suppose that depends of if you are a foe or friend."

"I didn't truthfully believe a sanctuary could exist, the Dragons usually burn down places with large human populations."

"Indeed they do." Yami settled back in his seat, "but we have a way to make sure they don't..." He itched the bite mark under his gauntlet in irritation.

Suddenly every knight within the encampment tensed as though something in the air had changed. A brief second later a high-pitched screeched echoed through the lonesome night to fill the lonely and hollow streets of London.

Tea's hands grabbed for a weapon but came up empty when they touched only her military uniform around her waist.

Yami chuckled slightly at the reactions of all the new arrivals, each appearing startled at the cry that echoed away.

"Don't worry," Yami propped a hand on hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "it's just the London King saying goodnight to his harem." He was surprised at just how cold her skin felt, as though the woman had no realization that she was near freezing in her torn military clothing.

"Pardon?" Tea frowned in confusion at the idea.

"When you've been around dragons as long as I have, you learn their calls, that was simply a good-night call. The London King protects his clan; he likes them to know he is watching over them."

The woman stared at him in confusion. "Just who are you?"

Yami grabbed for a blanket and threw it at her to wrap it firmly around her shoulders as though he was tucking in a child. "Yami of Hedingham..." he chuckled, "simple as that...Kala..."

"You want me to shave your beard off now?" The young woman tipped around from her position with cheer and laughter in her eyes, "Yugi wouldn't recognize you if you bumped into him. I can picture him rolling on the floor in insane laughter right now..." She put aside her knitting, "my, the picture is a delightful one."

"I am sure it is a delightful one." Yami finished bundling the new arrival up, ignoring her startled expression at his treatment of her.

"You can shave it off later, actually, I would like you to move your gear into my tent tonight. You'll be sleeping with me for the rest of the trip home."

Kala's eyes flickered in the fire light. She glanced toward Bakura. The white knight gave a small nod.

"Yes my lord." She stood, gathering up her knitting and quickly darting her way through the encampment.

Yami sat back down.

"Smart move, I was going to offer." Bakura nibbled on his bread.

"You usually take the watches, I don't." Yami shrugged.

"If you are worried over my men, don't be, they are all up-standing gentlemen." Tea tugged the quilt tighter around her shoulders.

Bakura snorted, taking a gulp out of his tankard as he pointed his pinkie finger at the new-comer.

"Excuse us if we don't take your word for it, Miss. America. Our women happen to be incredibly valuable to us. Any man who touches one of them gets a pissed of dragon up their arse."

Yami forced back a smirk at the last comment. Oh yes indeed, Yugi's sense of justice in this new world was a deadly one, and someone he let his dragon have his way.

Sometimes he looked the other way.

Sometimes he did not quell the beast's anger.

Sometimes he let Yugi free to burn.

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Morning brought on a haze across the flat, charred land across the plains away from London. The ever so subtle breeze was enough of a warning to tell of the coming radiation storm drawing closer with each ebbing day. Earths face had changed over the years, ever once fertile soils tainted and stained, despite some areas being lush and full of rich vibrant life, the radiation was mutating the flora with each generation of seeds.

Yami reined his horse gently to one side upon the over-grown high-way that had once led out of London's chaotic streets. What had been miles of houses had long ago fallen and collapsed into rubble, leaving what looked like a never ending meadow of dragon ash and the occasional half buried car. Their small caravan of knights moved down the cleared section of the road, heading toward home. The new comers followed in an almost curious state. Yami watched them thoughtfully, wondering just how a bunch of people had travelled so far from America to England. Truly, the young woman, Tea, had a tale or two too tell around the warm fires of Hedingham's inner halls.

She was a vibrant one at that, wild and ready for battle. She was the kind of woman Yugi would have enjoyed conversation with, simply because his dragon-half struggled so readily to find decent conversation. Watching her as she road atop a borrowed horse, Yami directed his own steed to catch up with her a head of the caravan, following Bakura's lead.

London was behind them. Hours of travel had put the old city, now made full of legends and myths by the generations who had never known of the world before Tribulation, far away. Yami tipped his head around one last time to cast a fleeting, deserted gaze to the ruined towers and smoldering fires ever burning from the London Kings clan.

Deep within, he knew, this would be the last time in a long time that he would lay eyes upon the city, stained red against the muggy horizon, tainted by death and decay.

"Goodbye." He whispered, turning away from the scene, "rest in Peace, London of Old."

Solemnly he turned away, flicked the reins of the his steed and brought the animal into a swift canter to join the caravan of his knights back down the snaking road weaving in through ruined landscape.

Daylight burned away the hours of travel, nothing was noticeable about the same old horizons and visions of death that they passed. His knights had journeyed the same passage back to Hedingham many times. Yet the expressions of the American's travelling with them were curious indeed. Finding his horse clapping along the worn road under hoof beside the cart where the America's sat, watching the world pass them by, Yami eyed the woman leader.

Something about the manner that her eyes studied the swamping of mutated flora that now covered ruined burned out cars, and the way her lips would spread thin, told him she had to be telling the truth. She and her men had travelled far and they had seen things that rivaled the ruin of England. Just how much had she seen was his question and he wanted to know what her journey had given her. Did she know things that could possibly aid Hedingham in its continued survival? Was it fate that they had met?

He scoffed in this throat for a moment. Yugi was not keen of fates or destines. He supposed his dragon half had lived through destiny and no longer desired it to be anything more than his own free-will to change events.

Never-the-less, something inside told him the woman, even with her stark features and dark demeanor of sovereignty, had knowledge he would need.

"So, tell me, Lady Tea...what do you know of Hedingham?" Yami spoke aloud and startled the woman from her daze. She jerked around, brushing back her stringy, unwashed hair. The knight chuckled to himself, almost finding himself able to smell and feel the greasy touch of such hair. It was little wonder she kept it short, women with long hair rarely had the kind of old toiletries to keep it shined and pretty like in the days of old. "What made you desire to seek a safe place many speak of as a myth?"

Tea smiled. He lips slip at the motion, cracked and bloodied from lack of hydration. "I saw the rising up of Dragons...they were once myths...so...why could not a place, a utopia, exist too?"

"Good point."

"All legends have to start somewhere." She scratched at her clothing. "From what I have heard about Hedingham, I believed it to be a real place. At least, Lord Atemu has to be real, otherwise he would not be spoken about in such a manner that puts him as part of the Lords and Ladies of the England. Lord Atemu is one of the most sought after lords in England, though apparently few have ever seen him. I was told at one compound that if you have Hedingham on your trade route you're considered of good quality and others will trade with you also."

"Hmmm," Yami raised his eyebrows, "you've got good ears."

"I know how to listen to whispers." Tea smiled. "But from the manner in which Hedingham was described, I wanted to find out...how could a place be so well spoken of in this dead and dying world."

Yami shrugged, looked over his knights and smiled at each and every one of them; his pride in his people was always spurring him onward to be the better leader. "This world may be dead and dying, Lady Tea, but there are those who can see the rebirth from the ashes."

"Poetic, sir Knight."

"Thank you." He inclined his head ever so slightly.

Tea was silent for a moment, the cart under her rattled and bumped as it caught rocks and metal under its thick rimmed wheels. Yami caught sight of a few of the knights keeping the gathered treasures of books and documents in line, folding water-proof tarp back over them in the cart.

"Also..." Tea finally called his attention back to her, "it is said, so I hear, that Lord Atemu has no Lady."

"Oh..." Yami turned his horse slightly in surprise, surprise that soon turned into bright amusement, "so, your intentions are marital?"

"A woman in this world must marry high to be of enough status to make a difference." Her chin tipped slightly in defiance.

My, she was a woman of high-breed and in that moment it simply oozed off her in layers.

Yami chuckled warmly with inward mirth, "Well...good luck with that then. Lord Atemu likes his women quite endearingly, however; you may not fit his personal preference in the matter. Very few people know what Lord Atemu looks for in a woman, other than the usual..." He smirked.

Tea frowned slightly as though considering her own appearance just for a brief second. "Surely you must know Lord Atemu personally, being one of his Knights?"

"Oh, he knows him alright." Kala laughed, causing Yami to wince at the hilarity in the woman's tone as she rode up beside him. "Better than all of us." She kicked her horse into a swift canter, passing by the cart to canter on ahead.

"And Yami...Yugi will be so insulted to hear you have no Lady." She called back.

"Shut up!" Yami snorted. \Yugi could be a lady if he wanted; he just likes dressing up as a man more.\ He sent the sharp thought pictures to the woman, gave a soft grumble under his breath, "Damn androgynous dragons...they'll be the ruin of me."

"Tell me about it." Bakura snorted and the two exchanged a small laugh at the oddity of the conversation.

Yami grinned suddenly, recalling to mind why Bakura had been so evident on joining their travel to London for the few remaining months of good weather.

"You know, Bakura, when we get back...Ryou's condition is still going to be the same."

"Shut up!" The knight took a swing at his friend as chuckles came from all around the travelling group, all seeming to know what their lord was on about. "All of you, shut up! Shut the frak up!"

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Over two weeks of continuous travel through begotten, shaved and shriveled land Yami decided they had made good time across the harsh terrain that no longer looked like Earth-that-was but an alien landscape of some distant planet. By the time they set camp the last evening, the Earl could almost feel the excitement and the relief rising up from his knights.

Home was just over the ridge, one more day away. That place of safety, of protection, of a land cultivated by hard work to become rich and fertile once again.

The night settled in, bringing the land into a ghostly state as the vacant face of the moon cast a silver hue over the Martian environment. The fire danced like a child, bringing him back to facing its warmth, imagining the heat that Yugi produced to burn the great furnace of Hedingham. Resting in his lap Kala gave a long groan, rolling around and curling up tighter under her fleece flung around her. Glancing down worriedly Yami wrapped the blanket tighter to her shoulders. The last thing he needed was one of his women getting a winter freeze. His chest tightened. He would feel so much better when they reached home. Wearily he closed his eyes, settling back to lean against the large rock formation shielding their camp. One more day. He smiled. Yes. Just one more day and he would be home.

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The knights were abuzz. Yami road ahead, atop his horse, watching their small moving caravan of weary, rag-tag looking men and chuckled at the brightly lit, though dirty, faces. This was what he lived for, the rapture that came with knowing they had done good for the community once more, all come home safely.

This year he did not even have to visit any new widows to ask for their forgiveness at the loss of their husbands. They had managed an entirely safe trip to Old London and back without harm. No Raiders, no Dragons, no fighting other rising Communities.

Atop his horse, Yami proudly glanced around; he truly did have the bravest, well trained knights in the scattered communities.

He smirked lightly as the American woman joined him up-front, her own steed cantering over the cobbled stone roads. By the expression across her cheeks, she was confused at the scarred, barren land ahead. There was no sight of a small town nor even a Keep to give the impression of a community living within the small, charred black valley.

"We moved after our Community was first destroyed by a Dragon." Yami offered her, adding to her confusion. "This valley didn't exist before Tribulation, it was created by an earthquake...from the...volcano..." He pointed far into the distance. "That way...we call her, Mouse." He cracked a grin. "The kids voted for the name. I think it's rather cute..."

"England doesn't have a volcano..." The woman eyed him.

"I can't say I blame the Earth for having a hissy-fit and deciding to crack a few new tectonic plates. One being straight down the middle of our fair island."

He could tell she was getting irked at his playful barter and her confusion at the valley was growing. Obviously to her eyes, there was nothing there, which meant Seto's shield's where up running perfectly as usual. They approached what appeared to be the ruins of an aged watch-tower from old-earth medieval times; the only part of it truly remaining standing was the arch of an old gateway. Tea gazed over it. "Where is..." Her voice trailed off as Yami lead the company through the archway.

It was as though they had passed through a curtain. As it pulled back, she was captivated with the sight of wavering green hills, filled to the brim with crops of all kinds. In the distance, back-dropping the Keep itself was a plantation of pine forests running high into valley. She turned in her saddle; jerking back to stare at what had been a craggily broken watchtower and wall. Now visible were high walls and more fully-formed watch-towers, along with a wide gate carved in the most beautiful of designs with iron bolting for a siege.

The gates ground slowly shut, leaving the ruined, toxic world outside behind.

Her chest tightened and she looked around again, hardly realizing that the company was moving down a well-worn path built through the produce rich land and her horse was following happily. Scattered through the crops, men, women and children were beginning to look up and wave as they passed down what she realized must have been the main road leading towards the high Keep and the new castle joining it. She could have sworn that she had stepped into an entirely new world. Surrounding the castle, another wall protected an inner village, though only the stone roofs where visible, the houses and streets underground, leaving the surface for trees and cultivating.

From atop his horse Yami tipped his head back, giving a long breath of the fresh, rich air, "Home, sweet home." He sighed in delight. "Oh...do I love clean air!"

Squeals of delighted laughter erupted from the high grain crops and Yami glanced around, watching as a bunch of children scrambled up the stone walls guarding the main road.

"Lord Atemu! Lord Atemu! Welcome home!" Their cries and waves made his heart swell.

Yami raised his hand, giving a strong wave back, "Thank you! It's good to be back! Don't mess up your pretty dresses dears."

The small girls buried their heads into their bonnets and Yami chuckled at them.

The children of Hedingham were a delight to see, he adored their happy little faces and brightly color tunics, all stamped with the sun and dragon emblem of Ra in either shirt or dresses. It was important that everyone always wore the colors of Hedingham, it made all his subjects feel as though they themselves owned Hedingham. Everyone here was a part of a greater community, all working towards surviving the new hostile world after Tribulation.

They reached the town, or the surface of the town. Through the rows of fruit trees, the small stone roofs of the underground dwells could be seen covered in the rich green grass, little mounds marking the earth like blisters. Latches opened and heads appeared, children, women and men escaping into the fresh-air, waving at the returning knights who broke from their formation to join families.

Yami watched the scholars rush forward excitedly toward the cart they held the treasures of the past within. Their head scholar approached his horse, the young man slowly removed his face covering head-dress.

"Thank you, Lord Atemu."

"You're welcome Noa." Yami inclined his head. "Have fun cataloguing it all."

"I assure you, sir, we shall!"

Chuckling at the sight of the scholars scrambling over the cart, Yami drew his horse into a faster canter, heading towards the main Keep's building rising out of the lush surroundings. Through the court-yard's gates they entered, finding the world filled with brightly lit lanterns slowly being taken down for the winter months.

He could feel a set of eyes upon him and he smirked happily, glancing around to gaze at the American woman.

Tea drew her horse closer, staring. "You're...you're Lord Atemu..."

"In the flesh." Yami swung a leg over his saddle, landing on the courtyard ground. His legs trembled slightly, the long ride wearier than he had anticipated, but the delight of seeing his Hedingham well and fine made his heart swell in pride. Tea slipped free of her saddle and rounded up to him.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because he likes to see the expression upon people's faces when they realize he's a lord." The soft, gentle voice sounded from behind them both. Yami tipped around to watch Ryou slowly descend the stairs into the main Keep. The Healer was decked in his royal attire, the robe of blue and grey around his shoulders was heavy for the cold chill, while the Ring he wore constantly around his neck had been joined with the jewels of his Order.

"Ryou." Yami inclined his head. "Good to see you're well."

"Likewise milord." Ryou held out a long, lean hand, clawed fingernails curling just slightly. Yami took the offered palm and gently kissed the surface. He aided the humanoid-dragon in descending the remainder of the stairs.

"Major Tea Anzu, this is Ryou Bakura, First in the Order of Irea." Yami offered the introduction at Tea's widened eyes, simply gazing at the Healer in awe.

"It is what we call our Healers. We have a fancy order and everything, makes us feel more professional." Ryou offered. "A pleasure to meet you, my dear. Welcome to Hedingham Keep." He offered the surface of the hand to her and for one confused moment she seemed to blink before she followed the example Yami had shown and carefully pressed her lips to the cold, chilled and ghostly pale skin. She could not decide whether he was man or woman or somewhere in between, or not even human at all. Her voice choked in her mouth.

"A...pleasure...yes." She gulped back saliva. Releasing his hand she blinked at his warm smile, making her cheeks fan a hot blush as he winked playfully.

"My won't you be a chit-for-chat this season, the boy's will be falling over to get a chance to woo you this season of mating."

Tea raised both eyebrows, turning back towards Yami as the Earl busily straightened his tunic, looking as though he was trying to look presentable for someone. "You have a season for mating?"

The earl looked up from tightening his blades, "Very important to keep up the population, it's a routine. We have less women than men..." He gave a long, dark sigh, "and a lot of our women die in child-birth due to the mutations caused by the radiation storms. We try hard to make sure time of conception for a child is directly before the Winter Storm...the Winter Storm lasts about six months, thus giving women time to be protected underground, away from the radiation. I cannot afford to lose any more women this season. I'd jump into bed myself if it would flipping give me a chance to keep someone alive."

"I am sorry, Yami," Ryou frowned sadly, "but I don't think even your epic genes will keep one of our lovely ladies alive."

Yami pointed to the Healer, "That is debatable, I am awesome!" He threw his arms wide in jest.

"Yes, so Yugi continues to tell me."

"Good, at least he still thinks so."

"RYOU!" The loud shout cut the friendly barter as it echoed through the court-yard. Yami winced, rubbing an ear, though the pain in his skull he knew came from the mental shout and not the physical. Bakura had a loud manner of thought-shapes that blared with such veracity when he wished it so.

The White Knight cantered his horse up, near bounding off the saddle with eagerness. He ran to envelop the slightly baffled healer.

"Good to see you're safe, Felix...but do you mind. You're crushing my currently occupied abdomen and I doubt you want me to go into labor prematurely do you?"

Bakura wrenched away with a shout, stumbling away from him and staring. "Oh...Ra, you're showing. Atemu...kill me, please."

"No, watching you suffer through this is far more entertaining."

"I should jolly well be showing by now," Ryou fanned his waist, "you've been away for months, what did you expect Felix?!"

"I don't know, for it to go away."

"Good grief, Felix, must I explain this to you again..."

"No!" The knight held up his hands and waved them, "it was creepy enough the first time!"

"Oh, honestly, you are such a child."

"You're pregnant! How do you want me to react!?"

"You should be happy for me! I thought I would never be able to seed again."

"I am happy, I'm just happily creeping out, same thing."

Ryou sighed heavily, breathing out between his sharp teeth. He waved a hand in the air, dismissing the conversation.

Yami smiled slightly, sensing the air growing cooler as the water-dragon's irritation grew before fading away. Ryou was always the more stable of their resident dragons, though he supposed it was from the sheer age the humanoid dragon was, considering his past-lives.

The Earl felt his chest expand in inward gladness. Ryou was right. His ability to seed his water-type had been taken from him, stripped away by his own kind for his role in a rebellion but with a new body came new parts and it appeared his curse had not followed him into the present but had remained in the past.

No one could have been not happy for their dragon-healer, as such a tender hearted, gentle beast, he had a right to bring to life his kind once again.

"Yami..." The healer smiled at him slightly, pulling him from his daze.

"Ah, yes?"

"I would firmly root yourself to the ground right about now..."

"What, why-" Yami had no time to shout as he was struck by two small bodies and thrown onto the grass by the combined weight of Sol and Puff, his twins, in a manner of speaking. Puff's laughter was a pitch higher than Sol's but both laughed equally as loud as they rambled around on top of him, fighting for right of first hug. Since Puff was technically Sol's shadow, the young shadow-weaver dragon took the mirror form of Sol. Puff was identical, even more so than a true human twin could ever be, however his entire form was a reversed image of his human-counter-part.

However, when one came up close, it was hard not to tell the two apart. Their personalities reflected in their identical faces. Puff's eyes were wide to the world, his smile always ready to be shown with wild sharp fangs. Puff loved, Puff shouted, Puff squealed and Puff enjoyed sitting with Yami for hours on end watching the Earl ramble through his notes and sign papers that needed signing.

Sol was different. Sol's dark brooding showed in his shadowed eyes and sullen expressions. Sol could never sit still, he had to move, he had to fight and he had to be constantly protecting Puff.

Sol handled life much like Yugi did, which really came as no surprise. Sol had spent the beginning of his life around Yugi while Puff had entered into the equation when his human counter-part had been almost seven. Puff was, technically, the younger of the pair, by human standards.

Yami had oddly enough found himself more involved with raising Puff than Yugi was. Puff was his child, the child who listened to him when he read documents out in his office and offered advice, no matter how childish it was.

Sol was a warrior, just like Yugi, and Puff was a diplomat who opposed violence; though that in no way meant the shadow-dragon could not be furious when needed.

Suddenly the two were hauled off his chest by the scruffs of their shirts as Yugi hoisted them into the air with ease.

Yami looked up at the elegantly poised other half of his soul. Dressed in a trench coat of leather, dipped in the crimson of his flames that strained the edges, he looked taller than he was at the angle of sight.

The tiny dragon-lord smirked at the two children with a playful leer, "Hey, hey...I get first dibs on hugging my handsome hero."

"Awww...but Dad!" Sol pouted.

"No, aww, but Dad about it. Atemu is mine, I hug him first."

Yami puffed out air as he dragged himself off the grass with a groan. "Do I get any say in the matter?" He dusted off the back of his pants before daring to look directly at his dragon. His chest contracted and he almost regretted the action of looking at the strange, dark beauty of the ancient humanoid beast.

Three sets of eyes stared at him.

Yugi barked a sudden laugh, "You...have a say in the matter? No...Atemu, you're the object of said affection in this matter, your say has no effect." Yugi released the two squirming boys and they both landed firmly on their backsides with squeaks. Yugi ignored them both, sliding up to the Earl and twisting his arms around the man's neck.

"You're late," he whispered.

"I am? Terribly sorry..." Yami thinned his lips.

"Another day and I would have come and found you..." Yugi's voice filtered off and he smirked as he trailed a clawed finger over the earl's cheek.

"Maybe I wanted you to come and find me." Yami chuckled.

Yugi clicked his tongue against the top of his mouth, making a disproving, mocking sound. He made a movement, as if to twist away, making Yami's shoulders slump slightly. The moment the Earl's head dropped the dragon pounced, leaping up, linking his arms around the human's neck and legs around his waist to pull him into a firm hug and an overly forced kiss.

Obviously, Yami concluded in the back of his mind, he had been missed and like a puppy showing devotion and love to its owner, Yugi was linking their broken soul through the ancient golden device lightly slung around his neck.

Yugi pulled away, dusting aside hair, grinning through his human flush.

He cracked a fanged smile.

"Welcome home."

The humanoid dragon slid down, giving a wink as he twirled away to wander up the stairs, the iron heels of his boots scrapping from his almost lizard-like swagger. He clicked under his tongue, the noise high-pitched. At the dragon summon, Puff ran after him quickly, lunging and clasping onto the elders neck from behind.

Sol remained standing, ignoring all summons, arms folded firmly over his chest as he glared at the new comers with brooding, scrutinizing eyes before he looked upwards to his human parent.

"Paro?" The boy corked his head to one side.

"Great," Yami rubbed his lips, coming free of his daze, "now my mouth tastes like ash."

"Yeah, Dad's been smoking again."

"Wonderful." The earl grumbled. "Just wonderful."

"Who are they?" Sol pointed to the group of Americans, his attention swinging as Tea stepped forward. The boy's hand moved to his hidden blade in a swift twirl. Curse Yugi for teaching their son such great concealment abilities. Just how many daggers Sol kept on himself Yami had no idea.

Yami snagged the boy's shoulder.

"Solomon, she is not a threat. This is Major Tea Anzu of the Reformed U.S Military and her men."

Sol's hand relaxed slowly, a small glimmer of admiration shifting across his expression for a brief moment. "You're a woman commander? Cool. See you at night prayer Paro, Dad's calling again, I'd better heed his summon...or I'll risk losing my eyebrows."

With a skip and hop Sol vanished, the small boy running quickly up the stairs into the Keep. Yami chuckled, shaking his head at his adoptive protégée.

"Your women...are not given a high status are they?" Tea's darkly toned voice startled him back to attention and he glanced in her direction.

"Don't be ridiculous, they're taught to fight, to protect, to do everything a man is...but I told you, I don't have very many women. They're given far more rights than men, because I have so few of them. Indeed, they're allowed to choose their husband and that man has no right to refuse."

The American woman thinned her lips. "Would the same apply to you, Lord Atemu?"

Yami gave a laugh. "While you are here, you will learn that there is one thing everyone knows about me. I can never refuse my lady." He held out his arm for her. "Come along then Major Tea Anzu. Our guest courters are this way."

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He had spent the remainder of the day aiding the knights and the scholars in unpacking all they had uncovered from London, before settling down to a wonderful warm meal in front of a delightful fire watching the children dance to old-Christmas carols.

Night prayers had slipped easily by and Yami found himself falling into the usual routine that came with Hedingham life. It was almost as if he had never been away for months, apart from the general chorus shouted through the halls by the common-folk to welcome him home.

Yami paused from his stroll down the long corridors, watching as the night-time janitor began the task of lighting the torches and bolting down the windows. The earl smiled faintly as he pressed open a large wooden door.

His community worked like a clock, always ticking, one second at a time, in a smooth motion. He had been away for months and yet it had still continued. Though, he supposed it partly due to Yugi's presence.

Sol and Puff's room was endearingly the room of a high-royal child. Weapons were perched on the walls, hangings draped from the roof and rugs lined the floors. Sol's armor was stationed to one side. The large round bed was in the center and Yami made his way towards it, noting Puff's shadowed figure curled up tightly at the edge of the bed. Sol's left foot was rubbing his dragons scales, scratching ever so often. Dressed in his night-robe the young boy still maintained his high-status appearance, being every bit the heir to the entire estate as he had slowly been taught. In his lap he held a book, turning the pages as he silently read the information.

Yami raised an eyebrow, noting it was one of his many report books from his office. The earl approached the bedside, feeling his boots sink into the fur rug flung over the harsh stone ground.

"Bit heavy for bed-time reading Solomon..." Yami settled himself down upon the bed, feeling it creak under his weight.

Sol peered up and through his white fringe, "I'm looking for a record." He set the book aside.

"What kind of record?" Yami picked up the book, placing on the table nearest the bed before he reached over to tuck the covers around the weary looking boy.

"One of the men working on the underground dragon chamber said something to me today that made he feel somewhat threatened by his words. I wanted to find his record of when he moved to Hedingham so I could check what Uncle Joey recorded down about his true nature from the Grail."

The Earl glanced to the book, "Well, you're looking at the wrong book...I'll get the right one for you tomorrow."

"You mean you'll let me look for his record?"

Bending forward Yami pressed a scarred hand to Sol's cheek, giving it a gentle rub, "Solomon, you have the right to look for information yourself. The sooner the people we protect see that you are showing yourself as an heir the more they will respect you."

"I'm still not even through my knight-training."

"Thank goodness for that." Yami chuckled, "You're still young Solomon."

"You don't...Paro, you don't see it! Some of the folk think Dad's got too much power, over...well, everything and the idea of building a world with the dragons...hatching more dragons...some aren't happy about it." Sol looked up wearily, his dark red eyes sullen despite their glitter, "Paro, they're always going to think of him as a monster! Even when he saves everyone. Puff gets bullied sometimes too and...and you know Puff, he doesn't ever fight back. He's too strong, if he did, he'd kill someone! Half the time I'm the one having to stock someone's eye out just to assert my authority...I'm twelve years old, I shouldn't have to beat up some teenager because he insults my other-half. This world is messed up..." Sol rested his head back onto the bed-front, "really messed up."

Yami sighed softly, bringing up a hand and brushing it through the boy's folds of hair.

"These people don't see the new world we live in, they are still trying to find what once was but will never be again. But they will come to see and understand in time." Yami pressed his lips to the boy's forehead as the child settled down into the covers. "I am very proud of you Sol." The earl tenderly smiled.

Sol bit the inside of his cheek, "But Paro-."

Yami held up a finger. "Get some sleep Solomon."

"Okay." Sol rolled around, curling up tightly. Yami rose to his feet and rounded the bed. He paused by Puff's curled up form and reached out to carefully rub the shadow-dragons triangular head before making his way to the door behind a wall hanging. He pressed it open and felt the warmth of his own courters encase him.

"I am guessing you heard all that?" Yami peered around his courters as he clipped the door shut behind him. Nothing had changed since he had last been within them. Yugi had not redone any of the decorating nor even the scattered furniture. The fire crackled in the center pit, the chair and table near it remained as scattered with all his papers as it had been when he left.

Risen on a porch the round bed was encased in thick curtains, all pulled aside. Yami chuckled. He doubted Yugi had even used the room while he was gone. The humanoid dragon had most likely spent most nights awake and stalking the land with Malik or Ryou. Night was when Yugi prowled, most viciously and with such dangerous glee. Already the shine in his eyes was slightly more aroused than what it was during the daylight.

Yugi glanced up from his position, lounged across the bed in a feline manner, twirling a sliver of gold between his fingers.

"Rather difficult not to, with my hearing," the humanoid dragon mused with a puff of smoke between his lips. Something Yami found increasingly amusing, for the smoke Yugi managed to produce even in human form never smelled like the stench of a camp fire. It was sweet. Indeed, too much of it could make a human quite easily lose their senses.

Yami wrinkled his nose and Yugi glanced at him, "Sorry. When you're not here I get into the habit again..."

Yami smirked at the comment as tugged at the ties of his shirt, loosening it around his neck. In the Before Time people had smoked cigarettes, he had seen the packets still scattered around here and there, along with the MacDonald wrappers and Coke cans.

But unlike the Before Timers Yugi had little sticks of wood, sticks that he carved with his iron nails into thin rods that he'd wedge between his lips and burned slowly in the heat he could produce. If he puffed smoke while doing it, it oddly enough, looked like he was smoking when in fact; it was the ash of the slow burning wood that the humanoid dragon was after. Different wood, apparently, had different flavors.

/I am glad you are home./ Yugi rolled around into a sitting position, slipping into thought-shapes. His images were gentler than his vocals, for it was his inner-soul that spoke telepathically. The Yugi he as the Earl had known for life-times beyond recall—the sweet, caring ancient dragon who loved Humans—who had loved them enough to desire their protection.

/He responds better to you with these kinds of issues. He'll talk to me...but not about this./ Yugi frowned, /He thinks he's protecting me./

"You raised him that way, Yugi. He adores you so what do you expect of him but to be highly protective of you and us." Yami commented warmly as he pulled the curtains across the windows, taking one last glance out into the night, the moors shined with the beauty of the harvest. He hated to think of the coming storm that would soon rage outside of their shields.

Everything they had done during the year had built itself to this storm, as it always did. The years were no longer decided by days or numbers, or moon and sun, but by the radiation storms that swelled across their sad world, changing and morphing the earth into something new; their new world, so dangerous and untamed.

He tightened the curtains with a rope and turned away. He tugged off the shirt and threw to the waiting laundry basket. With sigh the young Earl landed upon the bed, feeling the familiar bedding under him, the sensation it brought reminded him that he was, indeed, home. His home, the world he was slowly building...

For Yugi.

He had promised Yugi he would build them a home and wouldn't stop until such a thing was truth.

Raising an eyebrow he spread his arms above his head, glancing around at the creature, whose body heat was enough to warm the room, or the whole of Hedingham if so desired, to quite a reasonable temperature.

"Sol asleep yet?"

/Yes he is. Honestly, that boy just drops the moment his head hits the pillow./ Yugi flicked a long finger in the Earl's direction. /Unlike some people I know./ He filtered the gold into liquid and thinned it into a ring around the his finger before rising the scarred hand to kiss it lightly.

Yami watched as it became solid once more; glistening with the magic it held, crafted from the same gold as the small inverted pyramid Yugi never took from around his neck. Gold and Atlantis crystal melted in the hottest fire known to man or dragon, a fire otherwise known as Yugi Motou.

"Thank you for keeping it safe." Yami twirled the ring, feeling the heat from within, sensing it diminish quickly as it cooled to his skin.

/Hmm,/ Yugi purred and stretched long limbs, rolling onto his back, /you'd lose it, I know you would. You'd lose Hedingham if you didn't know I was here.../ The humanoid dragon suddenly tensed before he bolted to the window and peered out the glass.

Yami rose in the bed.

"Yugi? What is it?"

/I...I don't...it's nothing./ His thought-shapes wavered with unease. He quickly pulled the covers back over the window.

He spoke aloud, "I just...I could have sworn I sensed something." He scrubbed at his bare shoulders as he slid back to the bed, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Odd."

Yami touched the dragon's lips, "Don't worry about it now Yugi...we'll be alright."

Yugi purred, tilting his head to one side in a feline movement, /I'll trust you, just tonight./

/Good./ Yami leant forward. /Because I've been two months with Kala naked, have you any idea how hard it is to survive that?/ He flashed the mental image.

Yugi cracked a grin. /Yami, you have great self-control. Of all the men in Hedingham, only you would live with a naked woman and not jump her./

/Shut up, dragon/

Yugi poked his stomach, /Knowing you, I bet you were just as bad to her, just to be fair./

/My point is, I've been good boy. I think I deserve something for my out-standing gentlemanly behavior./

Yugi peered at him with a tilted head, his tone was disapproving, "You only just complained about your last bite and you want to go again? You're a sucker for punishment you know..."

Yami glanced briefly at his wrist, the bite marks just visible on the soft skin. He smiled at the wounds that would not scar, only if Yugi allowed them too, like the many others he could still feel, even now, though they had long ago faded. Always reminding him of just who and what he was.

He ran a finger over the obvious line a jaw being snapped downward at a force that could tear apart iron and stone. It was easy to recall the shock his human body went through every-time his blood-stream was injected with the carefully produced toxin. It was a raw sensation of emotion and if not spread out across numerous days and injected in a killing intention, well, he'd seen Yugi take down his own kind through the sheer spitting of his fire burning venom.

But for him, Yugi changed it, morphed it and gave him something to remind himself of their unbreakable bond; even if they wished it one soul could not be torn again.

A shifting of the room's temperature alerted him to Yugi's changed mood. A knee pressed him firmly back into the mattress as Yugi leant over him, stubbing out the small piece of wood he'd been holding between his lips on the frame of the bed. He left another small hole in the already abused wood.

Yami shivered at the absent-minded expression upon the humanoid dragon's face. Sometimes he had to wonder if Yugi had any idea just how unnervingly sensual he could be by simply existing as if he had not a care in the world. Yugi stretched upward and grabbed an overhanging towel. Though it had been scrubbed clean on numerous occasions the stain of blood was still visible. Looping the towel around his neck Yugi turned his attention to the Earl. He hooked slim legs around the lord's waist. Yami forced himself not to think of the moment he had watched his dragon snap a man's backbone with the same, simple movement. It was impossible not to fear Yugi. He doubted there was a man or woman in Hedingham who would dare move against the dragon; he didn't even dare half the time and he was the owner of their combined soul.

Seeming to read the human's mind Yugi gave a smirk and loosened his strong grip enough to ease the Earls tension. He dusted back his fiery waves of hair, bringing the dark the room alight with rainbows. "Alright, my Pharaoh...what do you wish for tonight?"

"Just you." Yami smiled, "I missed you." He rubbed finger and thumb down the dragon's thin arm, frowning only slightly at the feel of familiar scars.

Yugi pouted, "Oh, come now, you have a magical alien dragon, starved of affection, at your disposal and you can't be creative?"

"Nope."

"Fine, handsome, have it your way."

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The morning came too soon. Yami felt as though he had simply slipped into sleep, curled up by the warm body of his dragon, and then suddenly he was awake and somewhat cold. Blinking sleep from his eyes Yami eased himself into a seated position amongst the furs and color coded blankets of the large bed. The window to the left of the chamber was slightly ajar and he noticed Yugi's night-robe had been hung upon the rack there.

He yawned, giving a long stretch, wondering just when the dragon had exited to go on a flight. Slipping out of the covers the earl wandered to the window, clipping it shut but casting his gaze out across the morning sunrise. Soon they would have to lower the main keep back into the earth, keeping it safe from the Winter Storm. Yugi would be forced to keep his humanoid form, something the dragon struggled to maintain the long, cold months of the radiation storms. The Chamber had yet to be finished, an underground place they were slowly building for the dragons to stretch their wings within during the dark days. Through the Great Hall could house Yugi's immense size, the dragon was oddly shy about revealing himself to the people of Hedingham, no matter how much the children delighted in his true form.

Gathering up clothes for the day Yami slipped them on, wincing as fabric rolled over the bite mark red and raw upon his shoulder. To any outsider, the bite would have simply looked like a cat had bitten him deeply and viciously. He raised his hand, flinching at the sensitive skin. The venom was still fresh in his blood stream. Through the fabric he rubbed fiercely, biting his lips as a spread of wonderful pins-n-needles trickled down through his spine, the nerves throughout his body seeming to each cry out. He stifled a groan, pressing back against a wall and sliding down it, his legs unable to hold up any longer. Grabbing the shoulder, he hissed, bending forward, waiting for the sensation to die away, leaving him gasping for breath.

Yugi's chuckle sounded in the back of his mind, through the haziness of satisfaction. /Enjoying yourself there, handsome?/

/Immensely/ he replied, opening his eyes.

/Glad to be of service, my human./ The dragon hummed and Yami forced away the feeling that the beast was flying high and doing twirls in the air before he became dizzy over the link.

Instead, he let himself have the moment of rapture. The venom was most defiantly a drug, one he had become far to addicted too, but it was also what have him his immortality.

Without it, he would surely start to age once more. Sure, his people lived a lot longer, the Atlantis crystals around their necks supplying longer life from the energy they radiated but they could not cure radiation disease and the terrible mutated strains of bacteria and viruses that had popped up over the years since the Tribulation.

Yet, he and his Court maintained immortality through their dragons. He would forever be leader of Hedingham, for eternity, he hoped at least. He could die, his past life had proven that but it would become harder of a task to achieve the older he became.

The earl tipped his head back, sighing in delight before easing himself to his feet once more and shoving open the door to his adjacent office. Collapsing upon the chair he stared at the work that had piled up in his absence.

A note was fixed firmly to a wad of paper and he plucked it up, thoughtfully reading over the hand-writing from one of his Knights, Tristan, telling of the work on the Chamber. Another note looked fresher and he spied Puff's sloppy handwriting, scrawling out that both he and Sol had taken a flight before breakfast.

The earl shook his head. Typical of Puff too leave a note and Sol not too. The two made a good pair. Bending forward he reached for a quill pen, flipping through the files, all the while, resisting the temptation to touch his warm shoulder.

It was not long until a warm mug of milk was shoved under his nose, suddenly, and abruptly, leaving him blinking in mild confusion.

Bakura's gravely morning voice made him groan. "Looks like you had lovely reunion with your dragon last night."

Yami winced as he dared to raise his head, hissing pain between his teeth. He did not bother to ask how the white knight had got into his office.

He had long ago given up on knowing how Bakura did things. Bakura was simply there whether he wished him to be there or not.

"I don't know whether to say it's worse than a hang-over or better." The lord rubbed his fingers to his temple, managing a weak smile then frowned at the paper in front of him.

"Then you should be like me and wait until the last marks gone." Smirking Bakura sipped his mug of milk, chuckling as Yami shook his head and pressed his forehead to the surface of the table once more.

"It's just too addictive, anyway, it's not as if it's bad feeling."

"No, no, it's just pleasure ingested through the nervous system for an extended period of time. Who knew dragon toxins could be so wonderful when used the right way. Now I get it why Ryou uses it on the dying and those he's patching up. No wonder they knock out bloody elephants when they inject with the intent to kill."

"You're worried about the declining elephant population..." Yami looked up, peering through his fringe. He could not recall ever having seen a real elephant in his life.

Bakura spread his hands, swinging both feet onto the desk and reclining back into his seat, "What can I say, I have a soft spot for them."

Yami stared at the man, "You are honestly the weirdest man I know."

"Oh...don't say that, you'd be insulting yourself." Bakura sneered, gulping down his milk.

"You two yabbering on again?" Ryou wandered through the door, a gust of cold air following him as he practically glided forward. Yami shivered, wishing he could rid himself of the memory of the water-dragon in fury. It was such a contrast to the placid, gentle and almost humorous nature the beast usually carried.

The water-dragon settled himself into a seat, giving Bakura a small smile in greeting. The white knight returned it, giving the humanoid dragon's hand a brush with his finger-tips.

"Aren't we always yabbering about something?" Yami propped his chin up on the palm of his hand, leaning onto his desk.

"Well, as long as you're both not deciding to take over the world or something terribly nasty I suppose I can allow you to chit-chat openly."

"Us, take over the world..." Bakura snorted, "isn't that supposed to be your department of affairs?"

"Yes, my kind plunder and murder worlds...but you're both human, not that far removed if you ask me. It's your bloody bombs that are making these blasted storms that keep us winged types grounded for months. Lord, do I hate being in this form for months on end...it feels so...tight..."

"I imagine that's because you're fatter than normal, ouch, no, please don't hit me." Bakura held up both arms in a protective manner as Ryou flashed fangs. "Atemu, do something! Save me!"

"You got yourself into that one; even I know not to use the f-word." He leant back in his chair, hearing it give an unoiled creak.

The window of the large office was thrust open by a gust of wind. Yugi dived through, landed in a roll across the rugged floor to spring up with a shout. He posed himself elegantly then gave a shake, spraying water from his hair.

Ryou inclined his head around to watch Yugi wander forward on elongated legs, "Have a nice flight? You could have woken me...I would have joined you."

Yugi wrinkled his nose, giving his bare body another shake, "You were so cute all snuggled up with Felix...couldn't wake you. Yes, it was a nice flight, my wings are getting all..itchy...oh, Yami, the north field, you should...err...check the north field...it's...well...you'll see what I mean."

Yami looked across at his partner with a raised brow. "Something wrong?"

"No...not...wrong...just...meh, you'll see." The dragon shrugged, walking behind the large desk like a stalking cat. He cringed, feeling the dragon scrub a hand playfully through his hair, and for sure he knew the little beast would have been smiling one of his devilish smirks.

"Good morning." The dragon uncovered the bite mark. Yami grabbed for his hand, pulling it aside.

"Don't you dare touch it!"

Yugi laughed, gently pressing his chin to Yami's shoulder. "Want me to take it away?" he cooed.

Yami shook his head, "no, it feels too good," he added, "I'll manage."

Shrugging Yugi kissed the lords chin, standing abruptly, "Well then, excuse me gentlemen and dragon, I've got to get dressed and start the day...and...melt a Christmas tree!"

"You dare even think of melting my tree and I will freeze you in a bloody block of ice!" Ryou smashed his chair back as Yugi tore out the room and into the adjoining personal chamber with a high-pitched squeal, the water-dragon following with an echoing shout and a slam of the door.

Yami groaned, touching his head again, "Suddenly I wish I was back in bed."

"You and me both." Bakura grumbled thoughtfully, rubbing his own shoulder.

Yami glanced towards him with a raised eyebrow, noting the telltale sign.

"Oh you liar!" He threw his empty mug at his best friend.

Dodging it Bakura smirked, "Well, at least we know who can take their dragon toxin better-."

Yami gripped the table top, his glare darkening. For a moment Bakura was sure he was going to be sprung upon, but the young earl straightened to his regal appearance.

The white knight peered over his shoulder, spotting what had forced Yami's change of posture—the American woman at the junction of the doorway into the office.

Major Tea Anzu wore a brilliant smile. Her hair had been washed and trimmed, no longer a massive frizz to contend with. The restful and safe night sleep had done her well.

Yami inclined his head stately. "Major Anzu, please, com e in, sit. Bakura and I were just discussing the affairs of dragons."

The woman's eyebrows lifted in amusement. "I assure you, Lord Atemu, there is not much to tell on the affairs of dragons. They are terrible beasts without minds nor care. I have fought them long enough..." She wandered in and slid into a seat, her pale blue eyes fixated upon the earl behind the desk.

Yami placed a sincere smile across his lips. "I am sure you have, my Lady, but be mindful that things do change and not always is something as it seems."

"Especially here." Bakura leant forward in his chair, grinning under his mop of hair.

"Indeed." Yami nodded. "Especially here. Now, I take it you and your men where received well last night?"

Brushing a hand through a wave of her brown hair Tea sighed, "Yes, Lord Atemu, both myself and my men where received very well. I will admit, I have not sleep in such a manner for many, many years. You truly have a well-oiled community here."

Yami itched his shoulder, pausing when Bakura glared in his direction and quickly made use of the quill pen in front of him as distraction. "I'm honored you enjoyed our hospitality." He reached under the desk for a draw before pulling a face at finding the draw empty. He stood, moving through the office to a bookshelf. He sized a large red volume and deposited it back upon his desk, flipping through the crumbled pages.

"So I take it you'll be staying the rest of the season then?" he inquired.

"Well...I doubt my men and I have anywhere else to go, if this Winter Storm is as bad as you say it is-."

"Oh, it is." Bakura snorted.

Tea inclined her head in the white knights direction. "Then," she spread her hands, "we're here to stay."

Yami did not glance up, instead reached for his glasses and slid them onto his nose and ran a finger down the line of writing on a page.

"Well," he spoke fluidly, "you'll need to sign a contract for sanctuary and your men must understand that during a prolonged stay such as this they'll have to contribute to the community. They'll be allocated tasks, just as everyone is."

Tea nodded. "Sounds reasonable."

Yami peered over his glasses, raising an eyebrow, "Reasonable...my dear Miss. Anzu, I run a very large community and every single member is treated with their strength as their main asset. Your men will be treated in the same way for the length of your stay...they will also have to abide by my rulership, not yours."

The young woman thinned her lips, "I see."

Yami glanced back to the large book. He tapped out a blot of ink and scribbled something down before he passed the book and quill pen to Bakura. The white knight signed his own name and moved around the desk, placing the book in Tea's lap.

"Have a read, if you agree, sign your name and give us your soul," the man jeered playfully.

They waited as the woman read the terms and conditions, replying to a question whenever he head was raised. Eventually, she scribbled a splotchy signature within the book and Yami slapped it shut, slamming it down upon his desk.

"Well then, Lady Tea Anzu, welcome to Hedingham!" Yami stood gracefully and wandered towards a coat rack by the door.

"First order of the day is always to break the night fast. Breakfast is served in the Great Hall." Yami tugged the coat over his shoulders, unable to hold back a small cringe as the fabric caused friction across the bite long his shoulder. "You're welcome to join Bakura and myself as late-comers."

Bakura sided up to the door, grabbing his own coat, he tipped back on his heels, "It's usually best to let the kiddies have their fill before the adults come in a ruin it all for them."

"I believe hot muffins, cream, bacon and eggs are the menu this morning." Yami offered the military woman an arm. For a moment she stared at it as if she had never seen a gentleman's advances before, carefully she hooked her own arm around his own. He gave a graceful smile and shoved the door open with a foot.

"You will find," he commented, "that unlike many other communities, Hedingham exists as if this is our world. We no longer pine after what once was but instead embrace what can be. Our children are taught that the world that was destroyed itself -."

"But the dragons-."

"Helped it along, yes, but in the end it was our weapons who did the real damage. The dragons would have eventually died into smaller clans with less and less to eat. I have been to New York, my dear, that was no dragon attack...that was humans being humans."

"How could you have possibly seen New York, it's taken me eight years to travel here..."

Bakura chortled, "Magic!" He dodged past them both, opening a large door down to the stairwell leading into the hub below. Yami glanced toward the American woman. This was going to be very interesting indeed, her reaction to a world where the impossible was possible.

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Fires flickered on the sides of the walls, bursting in soft little pulses as if they were alive. Tea watched them dance. She could see nothing that attached them to the walls, not even oil within trenches. Instead, the flames seemed to flow like living water.

Magic? What a preposterous idea.

The closer they drew to the Great Hall the noise became louder. Two large, iron doors, fortified strongly as if its builder had expected danger, held the threshold into what must have been a large underground cavern. The white knight, Bakura, slammed himself into the twin doors, grinding them open to reveal the smaller side entrance into the expanding carven.

Tea's mouth dropped slack.

She heard the earl chuckle in mirth beside her, his arm around her own tightening its grip. Across the hall the floor had been coated in a layer of ice, the ceiling itself was a mass of twisted pillars formed out of the frozen water, twirling down between tables lined with people preparing for a bigger day ahead. Snow flickered down from the ceiling, touching her nose and cheeks. Wearingly she held out a hand, watching as it melted the moment it came in contact with the warmth of her skin.

Yami wandered down the icy steps, holding out his hand and smiling upward towards her. Why did he have to have such a tantalizing smile that invited her to trust him and ignore the impossibilities of what she was seeing? In his regal apparel he was so stately, so much like the men of fairy tales that her father had once told her of long ago.

Yet it was really his eyes that frightened her. She and her men had noticed the eyes of the folks in Hedingham, they glowed. It was alien—and frightening—as if they all had taken some daunt that made the irises shine in the darkness and glitter in the light. But the earl's were far more so, ten-times as dangerous.

She shivered

"Come." He motioned.

"But...how...this isn't possible?" She took his hand, stepped out onto the ice floor.

"Like I said." Bakura winked as he finished tying up a set of stakes. "Magic." The white knight leapt up, skidding across the ice as he swiftly skated through the hall.

Yami chuckled at the sight he made.

"I told you, my Lady, in Hedingham not everything is as it seems. While being here, you will have to relearn what you think is fact and fiction. This is the beginning of your new life." He swept back his hair. "Don't worry, you don't need ice-skates, Bakura simply uses them...he has too, his entire chamber is like this. He even sleeps on a block of ice, the poor man... Come, come, it's easy and trust me, I will catch you if you do decide to fall."

"But I don't understand."

"That is the fantastic thing about it," Yami raised his eyebrows, "you don't have to understand. You just have to accept what is and the rest will come to you in time."

She nodded. There was nothing else she could do but nod and accept the beautiful earl's words as truth. Slowly her fingers slid into the worn, scarred hand and it strengthened its grip as she descended into the icy and snow filled world below.

She half expected to step into a freezing climate but there was no cold. The people around her did not wear large coats to ward off the chill for it was strangely warm, as if the warmth came from inside her the moment her feet touched the surface of the ice floor.

The sensation almost caused tears to form and she had to stop. Yami glanced around to her, his red eyes faint with mirth as the young woman clutched her chest tightly.

"What..." She whispered.

"The blessing of Ra." Yami smiled. "You get used to it, I promise."

They interweaved their way through the large hall, Yami all the while waving and giving blessing to those who approached. Tea watched them all, from the elders to the children. They appeared to be divided into factions, each with their own colors under the main purple and gold banner. Clothes where beautifully spun in intricate designs, threaded through with images of beautiful flying beasts and sun-kissed meadows. The only thing each person held in common was the blue crystal dangling from the necks of every member she could see.

A towering Christmas tree, made entirely out of ice that had been carved out in an impossible manner, ran high into the coned ceiling. Underneath presents had already begun to gather in a colorful array.

As Yami directed her into a seat at a table to the far back of the chamber Tea glanced up into his features, confusion evident across her brow.

"You celebrate Christmas?"

"Ryou would kill us all if we didn't." Suddenly, as if appearing out of nowhere, Bakura slid into his seat.

"I thought you said you don't care for the past?" Tea allowed Yami to shove her seat back into place and gave him a smile of thanks, almost as if the offer had never been done to her.

Yami picked up plates from the center of the table and placed one before her, threw the other to Bakura before settling down one beside him and then his own. Tea watched oddly as the earl carefully set food upon both his plate and the one beside him before offering her the bowel.

He held it out, speaking as she took it, "Some stories, my dear, spread across time and space."

"You're religious then?" Tea pulled out a large muffin from the bowel, blinking in amazement at the food across the table. The children had already eaten and by the looks of it, they were being taken away by teacher dressed members of the community, thus allowing the adults to begin their own breaking of the fast.

"Religious is such an awful word." Yami hummed, slicing his muffin in half and lavishing it with butter. "It's an old word, of an old world full of people who held such spite for each other. The decay, I suppose, was natural. For the children now, Christmas is a time to celebrate a good year and it gives them something to look forward to during the Winter Storm. We have sessions for them to make gifts for each other, you know, fun things like that. Story times, ice skating...children need to be children before they can be adults."

Bakura's ice-stakes slammed onto the top of the table and he began to unloosen the straps of the stakes, slipping them from his boots.

Yami raised an eyebrow at the white knight. "Or in some people's cases, they never grow up." The earl offered butter to her.

"FELIX, feet off the table!"

At the high-pitched shout through the hall, making the icicles atop the ceiling jingle and chime, the dwellers of the hall dropped into silence.

Bakura snapped to attention in a swift movement, near knocking his chair backwards at the rate of his action.

Yami winced as he fought back a laugh, touching his shoulder.

"Damn it," he shivered, "Ryou, don't make me laugh."

"Oh, I'm sorry; I had no intention of being amusing. Felix what have I told you about your muddy boots on the table, people eat off tables."

Tea breathed out. It was the beautiful looking woman she had met the day before. What was her name, Ryou? She gliding up to the table. She bent forward, dusting the top of the table off with elongated, clawed fingers like blades of ice.

She scowled at the white knight beside her. "Honestly, Felix."

"No, people eat off of plates they put on the table, so technically..."

She raised an eyebrow, daring the knight to say another word.

Bakura closed his mouth and sipped his mug of milk.

"Ryou, you remember Tea from yesterday. Tea, Ryou is Bakura's wife."

Ryou offered her hand again. Tea stared at the bladed nails before quickly accepting it, hoping not to offend the elegant woman as she slid into the chair beside her with some difficulty. Bakura grasped her shoulder.

"Careful."

"I'm fine, dear."

Ryou flashed her a grin.

"I've got twins." She gave her waist a gentle rub. "And I bet they're going to be the same handful that their old-man is."

"I'm not old."

"You're ancient."

"If I'm ancient, what does that make you, _sweetie_."

"The age of the universe itself." Ryou smugly settled back.

Tea gave half a smile in confusion at the strange words.

"Congratulations," Tea offered.

"Why thank you." Ryou beamed the smile lighting up the radiant features of her. "I couldn't be more happy!" She leant forward, reaching for a muffin in the basket within the center of the table and slopped a serve of butter over it.

"I love muffin day!" she cheered, "Best day of the week."

Yami reached for the butter, "I suppose there is something good about Muffin Monday—even if I still hate Mondays. That's one thing that hasn't changed."

Tea blinked, glancing around the hall, "Really, this is how your community works..."

"Well," Ryou glanced towards her with a smile, "each day a different faction makes the food...different people like to make different things. It keeps the energies up...and the children get into making sweet things. Keeps them entertained..."

The sharp twang of heels hitting the top of the table caused heads to tip in the direction of the metal scrape. Yami tipped back in his hair, smiling slightly as he tapped Tea's shoulder.

"You asked, Miss. America, if I had a lady."

She snapped to attention, looking up from her food as the young earl pointed across the hall.

"I didn't get a chance to introduce you yesterday, but that is the lady of the house. Just don't say it to her face, or she may bite you. You can just call her Yugi, she hates being called lady."

The earl gave a delighted laugh at the confusion and bewilderment of the newcomer as her eyes settled upon the sight of the strange woman.

She walked elegantly through the plates and mugs atop the tables, leaping between them easily. Pausing only to crouch and greet the children between the adults, passing out small flakes of warm pastry. Tea breathed out at the fluid movements; teach twist and stretch of a taunt muscles under black leather revealed a powerful frame. This was not someone she would have ever tallied with, not a woman she would have dared crossed her blade with.

The earl beside her settled his chin upon the palm of his hand, smiling at the sight of the woman he obviously adored. She gulped. Now she foolish for her earlier words, and yet, no one outside had spoken of Hedingham having a Lady, only a Lord. It made no sense.

"Why does she get to walk on the table and I can't put my feet on it?" Bakura grumbled as Yugi approached with a coy smile to her rounded features. The white knight dodged a swipe from Ryou.

"I'm just saying...she always gets to do what she wants."

"Yes, because she's Yugi." Ryou rolled his eyes, "and Yugi gets to be Yugi."

"Can't I get to be Bakura!?"

"No, you're Felix, give me back my last name..."

"Shut up."

"No."

"Fighting again you two, do we need to drag you through another marriage seminar?" Yugi's voice chimed out over the general hubbub of the Great Hall. She leapt onto their table, skidding slightly with the iron of her studded high heels.

"Sadly," Bakura grumbled into his mug, "devoice doesn't work when you gave half your soul to an alien."

"Hush Bakura, don't be daft." Ryou hushed him.

Tea frowned, feeling a movement under the table, and knowing it had to be the woman kicking her husband under the table.

"I guess I should say...good morning! Since I didn't get to beforehand." Yugi waved to Bakura and Ryou as she propped a foot on Yami's shoulder to grind the metal tip of the boot into the Earl's skin. "My, my, handsome, you look in some horrible state...what happened, get bitten by something last night? Was it that nasty big lizard again?"

"Yes, it was a huge, horrible and very ugly lizard..."

"I'm not ugly!" Yugi frowned, the pitch of her voice going high for a moment. She thrust the heel of her boot into the earl's shoulder. "Take it back."

"No."

"Take it back Atemu Amir. Or I'll-."

"Fine," Yami squeaked, "stop rubbing my damned shoulder."

"That wasn't taking it back...what do you say?"

"You're beautiful."

"Thank you."

"I can kiss it better for you. Say the word and we'll go."

"No." Yami hissed between biting his bottom lip as Yugi continued to shift her foot playfully.

"Don't glare at me handsome, you're the one who wanted it."

"Shut up."

"Snappy."

Tea curled back at the smirk of the lady of the house, somewhere between a leer and a grin o devilish delight. She finally removed her heel from the earl's shoulder and turned away, full attention swinging upon her. Tea froze at the cold, calculating stare. Her skin should have felt cold like ice as the anxiety filled her; instead she began to grow warm, as if a fire was filling her veins, twisting her insides.

"Morning Miss. America. We did not get the chance to meet yesterday, but my husband told me all about you last night." She leapt from the table, landing elegantly on the seat wedged between her and the earl.

She held out a hand, her smile turning whimsical. "Lady Yugi Motou of Hedingham Keep."

"Major Tea Anzu, of the U.S Reformed Military."

"Welcome to Hedingham Lady Anzu. Yami told me about your lovely trip into London. Sorry about the locals there, they're rather uncivilized."

"Understatement of the century," Ryou snorted snobbishly, she curled up her lip, "Brutish bunch of uncivilized ruffians, the lot of them."

Yugi shook her head. "True enough."

Tea felt odd between the two high-class women, who she realized must have been very good friends, as they spoke around her.

Yugi clasped her hands together and leant her chin upon them. Tea paused from eating, startled that the lady was studying her with her glittering purple eyes. She blushed, brushing aside her bangs, returning the stare with a blank gaze.

Yami tapped his wife's shoulder and Yugi flinched. "Honey, don't scare the poor woman."

"Sorry." Yugi fanned innocence, "habit of mine. Tell me, did you sleep well?"

Tea inclined her head. "Very, thank you."

"Wonderful!" Yugi winked in her direction, "That is fabulous news. Means the new visitors courters are worth all the fuss and bother I put into them. Did you like the matching bed-sheets, I did those...I like color-coded things. Ghastly sight if things aren't color-coded..."

"Yes, Yugi has an obsessive-compulsive disorder about colors." Bakura snorted.

"I do not have an obsessive-compulsive disorder." Yugi looked horrified at the thought, she looked to Tea, "He's lying, ignore him. I am the sanest person in this hall."

"Nope, you should see their bedroom, it's color-coded down to the damned tiles on the floor and the ringlets on the curtains." Bakura smirked, "face it, pip-squeak, you've got issues."

Yugi grabbed for a knife in a swift agile movement. Yami's hand flew out and snagged his wife's wrist before it struck.

"Yugi!"

"What?"

"You have a knife, put it down before you hit him."

Slowly the lady glanced at her clenched hand and she frowned at the knife. "Damn it...why do I always go for a blade."

"Nature." Ryou shuffled in her seat, "You're an ancient war-lord Yugi...Bakura, stop taunting the ancient war-lord, she'll kill you one day. She slaughtered whole planets in her youth."

"So did you." Bakura rolled his eyes.

"Yes, but I'm much better at holding my temper than she is. Hence why I am the pregnant one and she isn't...you wouldn't want to be in the same room with her if she was pregnant."

Yugi snorted, huffing up in mock offence. "I would be fine."

"Please," Ryou waved a hand in air, "Yugi, face it, you have a temper."

"I do not have a temper, only when someone threatens my home. I am just overly territorial."

The earl pecked his wife on the cheek. "And Hedingham is better off for it."

Yugi flashed a grin, tilting her head to one side, eyes going large. "You think so?"

"I know so."

Tea shook her head. None of this was making any sense. Her mind was yelling at her to get up, to leave immediately and yet she could not. She was far to entranced by these strange people, their strange home. She had to learn more, she had to know who they were, and why their community had survived.

It was another warrior, tall like Bakura, but far darker toned. Tea gaped. Arabic, he was defiantly Arabic. He strolled up to the table as if he owned the room, jingling with the sound of jewelry.

"Yo! Malik." Bakura waved. "You old piece of sod, how've you been mate?"

"Hey! Hey! Bakura!" Malik slapped his hands down upon Bakura's shoulders firmly, "Welcome back!"

The two clasped hands and bonked heads in a show of brotherly affection.

"Good to be back, nice to see you didn't bring Hedingham to her knees in my absence."

Giving a mock look of horror Malik eased down into the seat beside the white-haired knight, "Me? Knock down Hedingham without you, Felix Bakura...I am insulted by the mere thought of me causing terror without you! However, I came up with a good idea for Christmas Eve!"

"Oh...really...you must tell me of his devious plan!"

"I will, mate, I will..." Malik clapped his friends shoulder heartily. "Morning all...ready to begin another delightful day!"

"Malik, how on earth can you be so cheerful..." Ryou groaned.

"He got laid last night." Bakura munched on the last piece of his muffin, "and males of all species always feel better after getting laid, it is one thing we all have in common."

"Wow," Malik rolled his eyes, "Bakura, you continue to astound me with your impeccable intelligence in the matter of my love-life."

"Yes," the white knight smiled, waving a hand in the air, "I know...I astound myself sometimes too."

"Where is Kala?" Yugi inquired, "I didn't get to say hello yesterday."

Tea closed her eyes. So this Malik was the husband of Kala, the woman who had helped save her.

"Nah, Kala's sleeping in with the brood." Malik shrugged his shoulders. "I decided, however, not to miss Muffin Monday. Whoa...wow...who the hell is the pretty brown haired woman next to you, Yugi?"

Tea blinked as attention suddenly swung in her direction. Malik's odd purple eyes studied her once over. Yugi finished a mouthful of her muffin before settling back into her seat.

"Malik, this is Major Tea Anzu of the Reformed U.S Military...she's a _Dragon Slayer_ seeking sanctuary with her troops over the Winter Radiation Storms...Tea Anzu this is Malik Ishtar, Knight of Hedingham...Lady Kala is his wife."

"Nice to meet you Major." Malik inclined his head forward in greeting. "I'm guessing the guys I passed on the way here belong to you, they all look worn-out and are wearing-gray? One named Tristan was asking about you."

Tea puffed out her cheeks, rising to her feet, "I should tell them I'm fine. Tristan gets easily worried."

Malik waved her worry away, "I took them down here, they're...over...there...sitting with some of the young training knights."

"Thanks Malik." Yami inclined his head.

"You're welcome sir. Doing my duty as greet and destroy. Sooo, tell me, how was London?"

"Full of riff-raff," Yami nibbled his buttered muffin.

Tea seated herself slowly. She tried to smile, feeling Yugi's gentle hand touch her shoulder, as if trying to make her feel safer. How could anyone feel safe when wedged between two women as intimidating as the ones beside her and surrounded by warrior men looking fit to take on anything they came across. Just what had seen fallen into?

"It's a mess, honestly, Malik, a real mess...so many communities trying their luck there now..."

"Wife said something about you seeing some new colors?" Malik snatched up his own breakfast, chopping three different flavored muffins into slices and sorting them over his plate as though making a small standing army.

Yami nodded.

"A couple of sets of new colors, actually." Bakura scrubbed a hand through his hair. "It's a bit worrisome."

Yugi placed down her goblet of milk, "New colors?"

"Indeed." Yami sighed, leaning back wearily into his large seat, casting his gaze across the Great Hall. He looked as though he was studying his kingdom, taking in everything he owned, or protected, whichever it was Tea was not sure, not yet.

"We've had a few new color sightings here too?" Yugi started shifting, pulling out a note pad from a pouch around her slim waist.

Yami and Bakura met each other's gaze. Tea caught the glance. It felt very strange. Did they always start discussing military issues around muffins? Did they always do it around strangers too?

"I was rather hoping that wasn't the case." Yami sighed, watching as Yugi flipped through her small black book and held out a page for him to view.

"Puff and Sol saw them, about..." Yugi glanced at the sketch, noting the date, "two months back, stalking the North-west Quarry."

"What were they doing that far out?" Yami snapped.

"Who, Puff and Sol or the new-colors?" His wife asked innocently.

Settling Yugi with a firm glare Yami carefully placed down the knife he held. "Our children!"

"Oh...yes well...you know our boys, overly adventurous like...err...you..." Yugi winced as Yami slammed his fist upon the table surface, causing the cutlery to dance.

"I told them both they were not permitted that far out!"

"Oh, I know." Yugi tucked away her small black book once again, "And I assure you, I told them off, doesn't mean they won't do it again, Atemu dear. Welcome to the utterly delightful world of parenting preteens."

"Yeah..." Malik grinned, "fun ain't it...and how lovely that Bakura shall soon be joining our ranks-."

Ryou squeaked as Bakura scrambled over his lap, grabbing Malik firmly and twisting them both until they toppled from the floor. Yugi pounced upon the table, watching the three tumbled as Malik and Bakura swung punches, Ryou struggling to get out of the fight.

Yugi dragged Ryou free, holding her upright as they watched the two friends battle it out. Ryou puffed out her cheeks in faint annoyance, touching her waist under the layers of her white robes.

"You alright?" Yugi wrapped an arm around her, "do you want me to take you to Chamber? That could have set off a reaction..."

"No, I think I'm fine." Ryou chuckled. "Poor Bakura..."

Yugi rolled her eyes. "He'll get over it-." She choked in her mouth, her eyes increasing in size as her head snapped skyward. Tea shot back in her chair at the sight. Yami caught the chair, stopping her from toppling backward.

Everything within the hall paused. There was a sudden, open silence. Yugi twisted on her heels, her body turning rigid as the high bells of the Keep belled loud throughout the underground dwelling. Three strikes of the bell and a following short burst of a horn caused a sudden mass of chaos to swell throughout the hall.

"Dragons!" Yugi screeched, "To arms!"

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_Encase you're wondering, did Ryou and Yugi suddenly switch the way their genders are referenced? No. This last section's Point of View (POV) was through Tea's eyes, and through her eye's they look like women and naturally, everyone else would do everything to add to that illusion around outsiders, unless they start forgetting to put on the show._


End file.
